Police have a long history of conflict with communities of color for a very, very long time. It’s not too much of a stretch to assume that this checkered past plays a role in today’s strained relationship between the two. Terrence Cunningham, president of the International Assn. of Chiefs of Police, took the opportunity to apologize.

While speaking at the organization’s annual convention on Monday, he took the time to ask that citizens of color forgive police officers for the long list of wrongdoings they’ve committed against them.

“We must forge a path that allows us to move beyond our history and identify common solutions to better protect our communities,” he said. “For our part, the first step in this process is for the law enforcement profession and the IACP to acknowledge and apologize for the actions of the past and the role that our profession played in society’s historical mistreatment of communities of color.”

“At the same time, those who denounce the police must also acknowledge that today’s officers are not to blame for the injustices of the past,” he continued.

Of course, it’s worth noting that Cunningham didn’t mention any of the wrongdoings currently being enacted by police across the country.

He’s essentially asking people of color to forgive their schoolyard bullies for beating them up during their entire childhood as if they didn’t just get into a huge fight at the class reunion.

Keith Reid-Cleveland is a proud product of Chicago's Southside and the Missouri School of Journalism. The Black Youth Project News Editor has written about politics, race and entertainment for multiple publications, such as Uproxx, The Undefeated, Black Nerd Problems, Comic Book Resources and more.

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